Crash and Burn
by pcworth
Summary: After Robin dies Regina does something drastic. In this fic, the readers get to choose how it progresses (see inside for details). Although it is swan queen all the way
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N: I am not sure where I am going to take this story yet, but I wrote it before the season finale aired. This takes place after Robin dies, but diverges from there. This is a Swan Queen story so keep that in mind as well. So here is the deal, those who read it get to help me decide where to take it. There will be another note at the bottom of the story with your options and I will take the suggestions and write from there. To choose an option, leave a message here, or hit me up on Tumblr or Twitter pcworth2012**_

Zelena strode into the sheriff's office, getting stopped by the secretary who asked what her business was.

"I have a missing person's report to make."

She was directed to take a seat and the clerk disappeared into the back. A few moments later Emma came out and Zelena stood to meet her until she saw Hook following the sheriff.

"Who is missing?" Emma asked.

"You know what never mind," Zelena said, looking more at Hook than Emma who also noticed the look.

"Zelena," Emma said stopping her before she could turn to leave. "Who is missing?"

"My sister."

…

Emma directed Zelena back to one of the private rooms – something Zelena only agreed to after Hook had left. While Zelena took a seat, Emma remained standing, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed.

"What do you mean she is missing?"

"I mean exactly what I said. The last thing she said to me was she needed some time to herself."

"I think that's probably pretty natural after what happened. She's grieving," Emma said. "She'll turn up when she is ready."

"Yeah because her love didn't get to magically show back up," Zelena said standing up. "Like I said out there, never mind, I'll find her myself. You are clearly not interested."

"Zelena," Emma said even as Zelena walked out. Emma took a seat wondering if Regina really was missing. It seemed unlikely to her. Regina was heartbroken so it made sense that she would shun the company of others right now. And she thought, it wasn't as if Regina would turn to Zelena during this time, after all they didn't know each other well and with Zelena having Robin's child that would make it even more awkward.

Emma pulled out her phone and dialed Regina's number. It went directly to voicemail.

"Hey, it's me," Emma said. "Zelena was just here at the sheriff's office. She was worried you were missing so um yeah give me a call when you get this."

She decided she would ask Henry tonight when he had last heard from Regina as she was sure he would have heard from her.

….

When she left the sheriff's station, Zelena transported back to Regina's.

"That was quick," Maleficent said. Zelena had approached her first to see if she had heard from Regina and Mal had agreed to watch her daughter while she went to see Emma.

"It was useless," Zelena said, taking her daughter from Mal. "The sheriff is too busy fawning over that useless pirate to give a damn about anything or anyone."

Mal was about to say that she doubted that was true having seen Regina and Emma work together, but she held her tongue.

"I'm not sure what to do next," Zelena admitted.

"Her mausoleum," Mal said. "Let's check there. Probably should have done that first. She's probably there."

"Ok," Zelena said. "Let's go."

They transported over to the mausoleum, and Zelena held onto her daughter as she followed Mal down. She had a bad feeling about this. She knew how upset Regina was over the loss of Robin but she didn't know what that would mean for her sister exactly. The truth was she didn't know Regina that well so she wasn't sure if this was just Regina being Regina, but it had been nearly two days now since she had last spoken to her.

Regina was letting her and her daughter stay at the mansion with her as they really didn't have any place else to go. She could understand given their past that Regina might be uncomfortable grieving with her. But she too was grieving for Robin and yes even for Hades and she would like to have her sister's support. She felt like they had begun to forge a new relationship and she didn't want it ending so soon.

"Regina," Mal called out. No response. She said her name again just before they reached the bottom. As soon as they were down there, it was clear that the place was empty.

Little Robin began to fuss in her arms and Zelena rocked her a bit to hopefully lull her back into sleep.

"What is that?" Zelena asked nodding over to where a small box and what appeared to be envelopes were sitting on a big chest. Maleficent walked over and picked one of the envelopes up. She then spread two others out as she studied them.

"This one has your name on it," Mal said about the one in her hand. "These others – one has Henry's name and one has Emma's."

"Open it."

Mal tore into the envelope and pulled out a letter which she handed to Zelena after she rearranged the baby to free up a hand. She watched as Zelena read the letter, her brow furrowing and her eyes tightening.

"What is it?" Mal asked after it seemed like Zelena was re-reading the letter.

"She's gone."

"What?" Mal said grabbing the letter from her hand.

"Regina has left Storybrooke," Zelena said as Mal began to read. "She's left forever."

Zelena stepped away hardly believing what she had just read. The letter outlined how Regina had left documents with her attorney, documents which would give Zelena Regina's house, property, belongings and turn over her bank accounts to her sister. It left her everything except for the things she had set aside for Henry.

She had then apologized that she wouldn't be there to be the sister Zelena needed her to be or the aunt that little Robin deserved to have.

The message was clear though – Regina was never coming back.

"She wouldn't do this," Mal said. "She wouldn't leave her son."

"It appears she has," Zelena said.

"She's just upset," Mal said. "She's been running on emotions all this time. When she lets her emotions get the best of her she doesn't always make the best decisions. Once she comes to her senses she will be back."

Even as she said it, Mal wasn't sure. She had known Regina for a long time – remembered the young Regina who had turned more and more toward vengeance when her heart had been broken once before.

"What's in the box?" Zelena asked.

Mal turned back to the chest and picked up the small box as Zelena crowded in closer. When she pushed back the lid, Mal knew Regina wasn't coming back.

…

Henry sat on the couch at Regina's house with the box sitting in his lap. He was vaguely aware of the adults in the room talking loudly but he couldn't take his eyes off of the box he held. The lid was shut, but in his mind he could see its contents – the half of red heart that had belonged to his mother.

The letter she had written him lay on the coffee table where one of the adults had left it sitting after reading it.

The explanation for the half of heart had been spelled out in it. Regina had removed her heart, broken it in half – leaving the good half, the unblackened part on a bed of satin inside the box. She left it in Henry's care because he was the only reason she said that any part of heart was still red. He could only presume the blackened half remained with her wherever she was at.

She had offered no clues to where that was, saying only that she loved him and she was sorry for all the things she had ever done that had adversely affected him. She said he could take whatever he wished from the house and explained that Zelena who now owned it knew to let him take anything. She also signed over his trust fund and savings account to his "birth mother." That was the closest reference she had to Emma in the letter.

The last word on the page wasn't even her signature. It simply said good-bye.

"Let me see the damn letter," Zelena said, rousing Henry from his stupor. Zelena and Maleficent stood to the left of him while Emma and Hook stood to the right of him. He realized they had been arguing for a little while now about the contents of the letter left for Emma, which Emma had refused to hand over, saying only that it was personal.

"Let's just concentrate on figuring out when she left and where she might have gone," Emma shot back. "If we're going to find her, we need to retrace her steps since the last time everyone saw her."

"Oh, now all of a sudden you care," Zelena replied.

"The way I hear it you didn't have much to offer in the way of information earlier," Hook said.

"Who invited you?" Zelena said. "Get out!"

"Where she goes, I go," Hook said pointing at Emma.

"I swear I will put you back in hell myself if you don't get out of here," Zelena said. "This property is mine now so if you don't leave I will call an actual competent sheriff to haul you off for trespassing."

"Yeah, you would know all about hell, you were only shacking up with the king of hell," Hook said. "I don't see you taking any responsibility for all of this. Robin's death if your fault. I wouldn't blame Regina for getting as far away from you as possible."

Emma stepped in front of Hook as Zelena called up a fireball, but Mal put her hand on Zelena's shoulder and then stepped forward.

"Sheriff," Mal said. "I suggest you do as Zelena has requested and have your boyfriend leave the premises. It might be a good idea if you join him."

"Just everyone calm down," Emma said. "None of this is helpful. None of this helps us find Regina."

"No it doesn't," Mal said. "Which is why I think it's best if you leave now. I will stay here with Zelena. We will see if we can use magical means to find Regina."

Emma hesitated.

"Come on love," Hook said putting a hand on Emma's forearm.

Emma sighed. "Come on Henry."

Henry looked up at his mother and then down at the box in his hand. "I want to stay here in case she comes back."

Emma approached him and knelt by the couch. "I know you do, but you can't," she said. "Let's go home. I'm sure Zelena or Mal will contact us if they find her, right?" She looked over at the two women.

"He can stay if he wants," Zelena said.

"I don't think that is a good idea," Emma said standing. "Henry, let's go."

"You'll call," Henry said to Zelena.

"You will be the first person we contact," she said.

He cradled the box in his arms as he reluctantly stood up. Emma put a hand on his shoulder to direct him out.

"I will start asking around town, find out who saw her last and when," Emma said.

Neither Zelena nor Mal responded and the trio finally left.

"What are we going to do?" Zelena asked Mal. "If she left Storybrooke, how do we find her when magic doesn't work outside of the town?"

"We will figure something out," Mal said. "She couldn't have gone far in two days without magic."

"I'm more concerned about how long she goes without her heart."

…

Emma parked the rental car and got out, coming around to the other side as Lily also got out.

"Eighth time is a charm," Lily said.

"You said third times a charm how many hours ago?" Emma said as she looked at the bar thinking they weren't going to have any luck here either.

They had flown into Florida last night and had been driving along the coast all day stopping at every beachfront watering hole they could find. Normally Emma would like a little more to go as far as information when searching for a person but Regina had now been missing for over a year and Emma was getting desperate to find her.

Lily was accompanying her at Maleficent's request – or as Mal had put it, "someone out there should have Regina's best interest in mind." As if Emma didn't have Regina in mind. There were days she was beginning to think Regina was all she was thinking about because despite what others might think she did care that Regina had gone. And despite what they thought, she did feel guilty about it.

Florida was more than a bit of a longshot, but at this point longshots was all Emma had.

When Regina had left town Emma had found her Mercedes in Portland a week later. Regina had sold it as a car lot and according to the car lot owner, she had walked away, not even looking at any car to buy. She had been dressed in jeans and a shirt and jacket and had a backpack and that is all. That squared with what they had found at the mansion – which basically everything Regina owned with the exception of the car. Not even Henry could say for sure what exactly she had taken with her or anything. All the pictures – the ones of him growing up also appeared to have been left behind.

"Whether she is here or not, I'm getting a drink," Lily said.

"We still have more bars in the area to look in," Emma replied.

"So," Lily said. "It's one drink. I wasn't planning on settling."

"Let's just get this over with."

They walked into the bar. It was like a stereotypical tiki hut with a deck that jutted out onto the water. The place wasn't overly crowded. They went up to the bar and Lily took a seat and ordered a draft beer in a tall glass.

"Anything for you?" the bartender asked Emma.

"Sure, I'll take the same," Emma said, taking a seat as she scanned the place. She had a picture of Regina to show but she decided to wait until the guy returned with their drinks.

She had trouble picturing Regina ever stepping foot in a place like this. Yet, all she had to go on was a mysterious happening involving a woman who may or may not be Regina who was said to frequent a beachfront bar in this area.

The bartender brought them their drinks. "Can I get you ladies anything to eat?" he asked. "We have a killer shrimp po boy sandwich here."

"No thanks," Emma said. "But we were looking for someone, do you mind looking at a photo?"

"Sure," he said.

Emma called a photo of Regina up on her phone and handed it to the bartender who studied it for a moment and handed it back. "She's a beauty, but I don't know her."

"Thanks for looking all the same," she said. She took a drink of her beer while Lily seemed absorbed in watching the televisions above the bar.

"So why you looking for her?" the bartender asked. "If you don't mind me asking."

"Not at all," Emma said. "We were hired by the family. Some sort of probate court, inheritance situation. We find her and she gets the inheritance, we don't find her and it goes to someone else. But the estate has to do its due diligence to try and find her. We were told by some family members that she hops around the coast."

It was a standard story she often used in her former employment when tracking someone down without letting people know why exactly she was tracking them.

"Well good luck," the bartender said.

"Thanks."

When another bartender came into start her shift, the other bartender directed her to Emma so she too could look at the photo, but she too said she had never seen Regina before.

They drank their beers and finally left about 30 minutes later. They had gotten in the car and Emma started it up when Lily looked over at her. "So they were lying," she said.

"Yep," Emma said putting the car in gear. "Looks like we better find a hotel to stay in."

….

Emma had been on plenty of stakeout situations in her time as a bail bondsman. Sometimes you had to wait for days for the person to show up. After getting rooms in a cheap motel, they had swapped rental cars in case the bartender had gotten a good look at what they were driving. They figured if the bartenders there were willing to lie about seeing Regina, they may know her well enough to have warned her that someone was looking for her.

Both she and Lily had napped throughout the afternoon in order to stake the place out all night.

Emma had called her parents to give them an update. She was careful in what she told them. She didn't want them relaying information to Henry that might get his hopes up. She had learned what a mistake that was early on in the process.

When Regina had left, Emma had figured it would take her a week tops to track her down. She had been overly optimistic with Henry and when she failed time after time, the strain between them got worse.

But she had been like Mal – not believing that Regina would abandon Henry like that. It seemed inconceivable.

It would be impossible for the Regina she knew to do such a thing, but it was clear to her now that she wasn't dealing with the same Regina. This Regina literally only had half a heart and that half was dark.

Emma had feelers out around the country with other bail bondsman she used to work with. It was how she ended up here in Florida. One of her former contacts told her there was a woman who had been arrested for assault that matched Regina's description. Emma was naturally skeptical until her contact told her that from what he heard from one of the deputies, the woman just disappeared from her locked cell. They had no idea where she went or who she was because she had given them a fake name and her fingerprint card and booking papers had also disappeared.

The only thing that the arresting officer could really remember about the woman was her description and that she had been talking with the other person who was arrested with her about drinking at a bar later when she got out of there. The man she was arrested with also could only provide vague information about the entire thing, almost as if he and the officer were under some sort of spell.

That was the only reason she and Lily had come down here – on the longshot that it was Regina. They were both skeptical but Emma couldn't let any stone be unturned in this search.

They returned to the bar that night, staying in their car down the street so they could see people enter and leave.

"Can I ask you a question?" Lily said.

They hadn't really talked much beyond speaking about the strategy in coming down here and what their next steps would be. Despite their friendship as children, they had not had the time or opportunity to really rekindle it.

Mal and Lily had been working on their relationship though which is why Lily was there. Mal hadn't wanted Emma going alone as she didn't trust Emma and made no secret of it. Lily had agreed to go, but Emma wasn't sure why except maybe to appease her mother.

"What?" Emma replied, not taking her eyes off the front of the bar.

"This whole half a heart thing, is that weird to you? Because I got to say it's weird to me. I mean I get your parents did the whole split the heart routine to save your dad's life but they have that true love shit going on too. Regina took her own heart out and split it. First of all, the woman must have balls of steel to do something like that. But like how does half a heart function? Does it beat like a regular heart? Does it pump blood and all that stuff? And like what if she got into a car wreck and they took her to the hospital and x-rayed her – would that shit show up as half a heart?"

Emma turned to her and the expression on her face silenced Lily from further questions.

They continued to sit there until the bar closed but there had been no sign of Regina.

For three days they staked the place out, rotating schedules so one would be watching while the other slept, but three days and they had nothing. Emma was sure both bartenders had been lying – something Lily agreed with her about. Normally when people are shown a picture and asked if they know them, they don't say no and then turn around and ask why you are looking for them.

On the fourth day as the bar closed down and there was again no Regina, Emma waited for the bartender to leave and she began to trail his car.

She was tired of waiting around.

"We going back to the hotel?" Lily asked from the back seat where she was lying down.

"Nope. Following the bartender."

Lily sat up in the back seat. "Why?"

"Because sitting around waiting isn't getting us anywhere," she said. "We know the guy is lying so let's have a private chat with him."

"And you think he will offer up something now when he didn't earlier?"

"I will flash my badge if I have to."

"Yeah because being a sheriff of a mythical town in Maine will be effective."

"Then maybe I will flash my gun."

"Stop the car," Lily said.

"What?"

"Pull over," she said more forcibly.

Emma pulled the car off the road and parked. Lily got out of the back seat and Emma expected she was going get in passenger seat, but instead she began pacing along the side of the car. Emma got out and but kept her hand on the door, prepared to get back in.

"Come on," Emma said. "We're going to lose him."

"What exactly is the plan here?" Lily asked.

"Well it was to follow the bartender and find out what he knows about where Regina is at," Emma said getting out of the car doorway and shutting it. "But looks like that won't be possible now. So what would you suggest we do since you've been sent to help because I'm apparently not good enough to handle this myself, despite the fact I am the one with the history of finding people."

Lily got in her face. "I'm not just here to help find Regina," she said. "I barely know her. But I used to know you and I'm here for you too. So let's think this through a bit. You want to talk to the bartender, fine, I'm not opposed to that but I have gotten in enough trouble in my life that I would really appreciate not being arrested with you if you get too heavy-handed with this."

"Again, what would you suggest we do?" Emma said crossing her arms in front of her.

Lily stepped back and she ended up leaning against the front of the car and Emma joined her after a few moments.

"I keep wondering what the hell she would be doing down here?" Lily said. "I mean all the bars along this stretch of coastal area are pretty much shit bars and that doesn't exactly fit with her majesty does it?"

"No," Emma admitted. "I was thinking the same thing. I was thinking this is a complete waste of time the moment we got down here, but that guy was lying. I'm certain of it. He knows something and we have nothing else to go on."

"Alright," Lily said. "We will question him, but not until we agree on the best way to approach it."

"And you think we will come to an agreement?"

"Of course," Lily smiled. "Just because I don't think stalking him and sticking a gun in his face is the right play doesn't mean I think we should do this by the book. After all, I knew you before you were sheriff and I've caused enough trouble in my life that I think between the two of us we can come up with something a little less risky but something involves telling a few white lies."

 **A/N: Ok, so here is the question that needs answered for me to continue the story. When Regina is found, has she been up to something good, something bad or a bit of both (to borrow from Guardians of the Galaxy). Again, leave message here or hit me up on Tumblr or Twitter**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: After the first chapter, the vote was that Regina has been up to a little bit of good and bad since leaving Storybrooke**

Lily walked in and took a seat at the bar. The same bartender, Jay, was working as before and she noticed right away that he gave her a second look before coming over and taking her order. She kept it simple – a tall draft and she took the time for him to return to glance around the bar. From their stakeout she recognized a few of the regulars.

Jay returned with her drink and she paid him, telling him she didn't want to start a tab because she wasn't sure yet how long she would be staying.

Again she was struck by how none of this seemed to fit. This was a dive bar by any stretch of the imagination and not someplace Regina was likely to go. She had spoken to her mother the night before to give her an update. She had described the bar and Maleficent agreed it wasn't the type of place Regina would frequent.

She was still building on her relationship with her mother but when she asked her to come here with Emma, she had balked at first.

Her mother had been upset about Regina leaving – and Lily was beginning to wonder how close her mother had been with Regina.

It wasn't that she didn't want to help, she just didn't want to let her mother down if they came back empty-handed.

Plus she wasn't sure what it would be like to spend so much time with Emma. They had hung out some since they had come back into each other's lives but it always seemed like something was happening – Emma taking on the Dark One's curse, Emma's trip to hell and back and then Regina leaving had caused a host of other issues.

None bigger perhaps than the chip on Emma's shoulder.

Lily was certain that if she hadn't had stopped Emma the sheriff would have pulled out her gun and stuck it in the bartender's face until he told her what she wanted to know. It was like Emma was one big, raw nerve that was exposed to the world right now and that made her dangerous.

She took her time drinking her beer and then ordered another.

"So what happened with your friend?" Jay asked her when she was halfway through her second beer. He was cleaning the counter just a little ways down from her acting as if he was only partially interested in her answer.

Took you long enough, Lily thought. She was beginning to think she would be on her third beer before he got the balls up to ask her.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Your friend was looking for that other woman, the one about the inheritance, did she find her?"

"Yep," Lily said, taking a sip. "Although it really didn't have anything to do with an inheritance. That is just a cover that she uses when she is looking for someone."

Jay leaned against the counter. "What do you mean a cover?"

"Oh, my friend. Her name is Emma. She's like a bounty hunter of sorts," Lily said. "That woman she was looking for – criminal – wanted back up north. You never know if people you are asking information from are friends with the person or not so Emma uses that inheritance story as a cover."

"But you say she found this woman?"

"Yeah," Lily replied. "Emma likes to do the whole apprehending thing on her own so I get to sit back and enjoy myself until she brings her in. Don't imagine it will take too long. That woman isn't exactly being careful. We found her easy enough. So I get sit here or at the motel and wait until Emma calls and then we'll be back on our way. Job kind of sucks at times but I do love to travel."

"That's good to hear, that you found her," Jay said. He finished wiping the counter in front of her and then disappeared into the back.

Well, that was predictable, Lily thought as she finished her beer and put the money on the counter before walking out. She went out to the car where Emma waited. She watched her phone as she did so. She had been close enough to clone the bartender's cell and now they only needed to see who he contacted. She wasn't halfway to the car when her phone beeped. It wasn't the kind of cell cloning you saw on TV. This only allowed her to see the number of who was being called or texted. But it would be starting point for them.

She got in the car and showed Emma the phone number which had been called.

"That's a Miami exchange," Emma said.

"How did you know that off the top of your head?"

"You would be surprised the things I learned in my former employment," Emma said. "Now it's time to find out who belongs to that number."

She made a call to the same contact who had given her this tip to begin with and passed the number on to him. They were back at the motel hours later when she got a call back. In the meantime there were more calls and texts from the bartender's phone – another to that same number.

Emma used the small notepad on the desk to write down what her friend told her about the number, thanked him and then hung up. She had been on the phone for a quite a while which caused Lily to start pacing.

"Aren't you going to give him the other numbers we got today?" she asked.

"Will later if we need to, but I think that first number is our best bet. Although I admit this is getting stranger and I'm not sure we are on the right track," Emma said. "My friend says the number is to a club in Miami – one way more upscale than that bar. It's owned by a guy named Ramon Suarez, although his real name is get this James Monroe. He changed his name and style practically over night about seven months ago when he bought the club. The DEA and the FBI have been trying to infiltrate it for months but can't get anyone on the inside because they are pretty sure it is some sort of safe zone for the gangs in and around the city. It's like a meet up place on neutral ground."

"Ok, so what does this have to do with Regina?"

"No idea, but we're going to Miami to check the place out," Emma said. "It is after all called The Monarch."

….

"Now this is more like it," Lily said after her and Emma were allowed inside The Monarch. They had gotten into the city the day before and scoped the place from the outside and decided some shopping was in order so they would not only be admitted inside but also blend in. Or as Lily put it, "we're going to wear short, tight dresses."

Besides eyeing both women from top to bottom the bouncer didn't give them any trouble getting in.

They went slowly to the bar, both women taking in things like the closest exits and the general clientele. This was definitely more upper class than the bar on the coast. Still Emma had a hard time picturing Regina here as well. The music playing was loud, a Latin beat of some sort and people were already on the dance floor even though it was early in the evening yet.

Emma let Lily order them drinks while she continued to scan the place. She noticed there was a door behind the bar for the staff that probably led to a break room/stock room of some sort. The club had three levels – one up and one down from where they stood. The staircases too were crowded with people.

This must be a highly profitable place, Emma thought.

While she admitted she didn't see Regina being in a place like this, there was one thing about Miami that made Emma think it was plausible that she was here. When they had arrived in the city yesterday they had taken rooms at a hotel a couple of blocks down from here. As they had neared the hotel Emma realized she could feel her magic again.

When she first left Storybrooke in search of Regina, once she had crossed the border, it was like a curtain was drawn between her and her magic. She knew it was still there but she couldn't touch it to do anything with it. She had since discovered that while the curse had brought them to a world without magic, it wasn't entirely a true statement. Magic did exist in this world – it was why those like Tamara and Greg knew of it and were working with the mysterious Home Office to rid the world of it.

Magic wasn't widespread in this world, but there were pockets where magic was possible. She now knew at least part of Miami was one such pocket. It meant that Regina could be here and in full use of her magic. What she was doing with the magic is what concerned Emma. She had to remind herself that when they found Regina, there was no way of knowing what Regina would be like with only half a heart – and not the good half.

It did make sense that she would choose a place that allowed her to use magic.

After getting their drinks she and Lily began to walk around the place. They started on the main floor, making mental notes as they went along. There was a stage on this floor and right now there was only a deejay up there with his equipment. There was access to the stage from behind it. They went downstairs next where the layout was different. There was no stage here. The music was just pumped in from the upper level and instead of one long bar taking up one of the walls there was a square shaped bar in the middle of the room and more tables and chairs down here. Again Emma made note of all the doors.

"She could be anywhere in a crowd like this and we would never know," Lily said into her ear.

She wasn't incorrect but Emma didn't acknowledge it. They went back upstairs, this time going to the top level. Here there were more couches for people to lounge around in and more private nooks where Emma supposed people of importance camped out. It wasn't until she was up there and leaning against the rail looking down that she realized that there was space opposite of her – a tinted glass area that sat above the bar from the middle level. She pointed it out to Lily.

"Probably the owner's suite. Not unusual for a place like this," Lily said. "It would have the business offices and private area for entertaining guests. From there he could look down at the entire club."

"How do you get up there?" Emma said.

Lily looked around again. "Maybe from behind the bar or the stage I don't see any other door that would make sense for granting access up there. Either way we don't get up there without an invite."

Emma stared at the glass wondering if the owner was up there right now looking down at his club. And if he was, was Regina with him.

They spent the rest of the evening trying to be regular club goers. Lily was doing a much better job of it than she was. All she could think about was trying to figure out a way to get up to that private area.

If Regina were there had she seen Emma and Lily already?

She had thought a lot about what she would say to Regina when she found her. Her mind kept going back to the letter that Regina had left for her. It was back in the hotel room as she had kept it with her since she had gotten it. Despite Zelena's and Maleficent's insistence she had not shared its contents with anyone, not even Henry when he asked. No, the contents were strictly between her and Regina.

They stayed until closing time and took a cab back to the hotel. "Change clothes and meet me in my room in an hour," Emma said.

"What for?"

"Just do it," Emma said. She entered her room and quickly changed clothes into a pair of jeans and a dark shirt. While she waited for Lily to join her and she pulled out the letter from her jacket and sat on the bed and read it over once more. She didn't need to read it anymore as she was sure she could recite it word for word.

Finally Lily entered the room. "Ok, so what are we doing now?"

"We're going back to the club?"

"You mean the club that is now closed."

"Yes, we're going inside to check it out."

Lily leaned against the closed door. "Again, I'm not feeling like getting arrested."

"We won't be arrested. No one will even know we are there."

"Ooh are we going to use our invisibility cloak Harry Potter?"

"No, but we are going to use magic."

Lily didn't say anything, but she did open the door for Emma to go out first. Emma grabbed her jacket and put it on, tucking the letter back into the inside pocket. It wasn't her red jacket, it was a new one she had just picked up when they got into the city. They walked down to the club, both women alert for any dangers of being two women walking alone in an unfamiliar city. They stayed on the sidewalk opposite of the club.

They watched the club for a bit from a nearby alley way.

"What about the cameras?" Lily asked.

Emma pulled two ski masks and handed one to Lily.

"Jesus fucking Christ," Lily said, as she put one on. Once they were both masked, Emma took Lily's hand in hers and let the magic wrap around them. They appeared in the bathroom that she had checked out earlier to make sure it would be a good landing spot.

"And now that we are in here, what about alarms?" Lily said, keeping her voice low. "What about guards?"

"We'll deal with them if they become an issue. We stay next to each other, we can always poof back out," Emma said.

"Why don't we just poof into that upper office space?"

"Because I have never been there before and I'm not exactly confident in my ability to get us up there without reappearing in the middle of a desk."

They left the bathroom slowly, looking around for any sign of guards or anything that would pose a danger to them. Lily led the way as they decided to take the route behind the stage first to see if it led upstairs. They figured it would be a better chance that the entrance was that way rather than from behind the bar.

They guessed right as there was a set of stairs leading up. Once they got there the door was locked. Lily pulled something out of her own jacket and Emma was unsurprised when she began picking the lock.

Entering the darkened space they didn't see anything out of the ordinary. Lily clicked on a small flashlight and flashed it around.

"Check the desk," Emma said. "I'll check the file cabinets."

Both stepped forward and a small light on the desk clicked on. Emma grabbed Lily's hand to get them both out of there.

"Don't tell me you came all this way to disappear now."

"Regina?" Emma said recognizing the voice. More lights came on and there was Regina sitting on a couch in the room.

"Hi Lily," Regina said. "It was nice of you to come but I think Miss Swan and I would rather speak in private."

Regina waved her hand and Lily disappeared in a puff of purple smoke.

"Don't worry," Regina said. "She's safely back in her hotel room. I don't feel much like picking a fight with Mal by harming her daughter – at least not right now. So Miss Swan, why don't you take a seat."


	3. Chapter 3

Emma took off the ski mask but remained standing. Regina was sitting in the center of the couch, wearing a tight and small red dress, her legs were crossed and she had her hands folded in her lap. Her lips were pressed together making neither a smile nor a frown.

"Can I get you anything to drink?" Regina said as she flipped her own hand up and a glass appeared in it, filled with an amber liquid. She took a drink of it, her eyes never leaving Emma. "No. Again, take a seat Miss Swan."

Emma moved over to the plush chair next to the couch and sat down. Regina continued to drink from her glass while Emma sat there not saying anything. She realized Regina was waiting on her to speak.

"Henry misses you," she said finally.

A cruel, mocking laugh came out of Regina that Emma was not expecting.

"Is that the best you came here with?" Regina said. "After all this time that's the best you can do. I ought to send you back to that hotel you're staying at and not let you back in until you come up with something better. How utterly disappointing Miss Swan," Regina said. She paused, cocked her head to the left. "Or I'm sorry is it Mrs. Jones now? Well, I don't see a ring, so perhaps not."

She finished off her drink and got up from the couch, going over to a stand near the window and pouring more into her glass. Emma watched her as she moved – her movements slow, deliberate, as if she was putting on a show.

Regina turned back toward Emma, but didn't move to retake her seat. "If your only purpose in coming here was to tell me the boy misses me, I believe you can take your leave now. Would you like me to transport you back to your hotel room or can you handle that yourself?"

"I'm not going anywhere," Emma said getting to her feet. "Unless it's back to Storybrooke with you."

"Oh dear," Regina said, making a tsk, tsk noise. "I'm afraid you have wasted a trip to our beautiful state then as I have no intention of returning to that town ever again. Even if I did, you would be the last person I would go with."

Emma noticed a hint of emotions in Regina's eyes at that last sentence – a flicker of anger.

"Look, I get that I'm probably the last person in the world you want to see, but I'm here now and I'm not leaving Florida without you," Emma said. "Do you think it's just Henry that misses you? Why do you think Lily is with me? It's because Mal is worried about you and then there is Zelena and your niece Robyn. There are people who care about you back home. That is where you belong, not here, doing whatever it is that you are doing here. So tell me, what's it going to take to get you to return with me?"

"It's never going to happen," Regina said. She took her seat back on the couch, taking another sip of her drink. "Now I will forgive you breaking and entering this time, but I think it's time for you to leave."

"I'm not …"

Before the next word was out of her mouth Emma felt Regina's magic grab her and when she opened her eyes she was in her hotel room. Lily was there, talking on the phone, but when Emma appeared she paused. "Emma just returned," Lily said. "I'm going to guess that means it didn't go well. I'll call you back."

She hung up the phone. "I take it the queen wasn't receptive."

"Damn her," Emma said. "I'm going back."

She left the room slamming the door behind her. While she could have used her magic to transport back, she didn't like doing it over long distances and she decided the walk back over would make her less angry and maybe give her time to think of a way to get Regina to listen.

The way Regina had referred to Henry as "the boy" had set her teeth on edge. Regina – at least the Regina Emma thought she knew – would never have such callous disregard for their son. Then there was her pointing out that Emma would be the last person she would return with, which wasn't surprising to her, but at the same time it hurt to have it confirmed. She knew this was going to be tough if and when she found Regina, but she wasn't expecting such a blatant dismissal.

If anything she thought Regina would be more emotional, lash out at her. That didn't happen though. Regina was snarky yes, but somehow it was different than what Emma was used to – it was almost like snark for snark sake without the emotion behind it.

When they had first begun the search for Regina there had been discussion about what having only half a blackened heart would do to her. It was mostly conjecture, although it was pointed out that having no heart was what made Cora as dangerous as she had been.

Emma had chosen to believe that Regina would never go that far, never turn into her mother. Regina still had part of her heart, which in Emma's mind meant that a part of her wanted to keep from following in her mother's footsteps.

Although they knew there was another reason for leaving a half of her heart behind. She had explained it in another letter that she had mailed so it hadn't been received until a few days later.

The closer she got to the club, the less certain Emma was that she even knew what to say to Regina. She briefly thought of turning back around and confronting Regina tomorrow. It was a very brief thought. She was still angry and she wasn't about to let Regina get the upper hand.

As soon as she got across the street from the club she used her magic. But as soon as she disappeared she then reappeared back where she was standing. She tried it again with the same result.

Her phone rang – a private number.

"Hello."

"Did you really think that I was going to let you have free access to my club?" Regina said.

"I'll come in through the front door if that is what you want, but we aren't done talking."

That laugh rang out through the phone right before Regina hung it up.

"God damn it," Emma swore.

Knowing she didn't have a choice right now she began the walk back to the hotel.

….

The next afternoon Emma was waiting across the street from the club, a coffee in hand and sunglasses on to block the already bright Florida sun. She had slept in after her late night and after speaking with her mother on the phone she had spent some time strategizing on how to approach Regina next. They hadn't gotten very far.

Now here she was waiting for the club to open so she could go in and ask for Regina. Lily was out doing her own information gathering. They needed to find out what Regina's connection was to the club and what she was doing here.

She saw someone walking toward the side door – she assumed an employee entrance – and she dashed over to intercept.

"Hey, wait," she said stopping the guy before he could disappear into the building.

"We ain't open," he said, and tried to close the door on her but she slid her foot into block it.

"I'm here to see Regina."

"No one here by that name."

"Cut the crap, I saw her here last night upstairs in that office or lounge or whatever it was," she said. "Now you can go tell her I'm here or I will wait out here until you open or whatever I have to do in order to see her."

"No one here by that name," he repeated. "Now remove your foot from the door or we'll see how many slams of the door it takes to break it."

He didn't look like he was joking but Emma almost called his bluff anyway. "Tell her I'm out here waiting to speak to her."

She removed her foot and he slammed the door. She waited and waited and no one came out. As some more employees arrived she also told them to let Regina know she was out there. They all either ignored her or told her there was no one there of that name.

She waited until the club finally opened and then she tried the front door only to have the bouncer refuse her entry. He told her she had been barred by ownership.

Although she hadn't expected it to be easy, she still found the situation aggravating. She only wanted to talk to Regina – get her to see reason, get her to agree to come back and most of all she wanted to apologize.

Calling Lily, whom she had kept in contact mostly through texts during the day, she asked her to meet her there.

All of this waiting around was wearing on her patience, but maybe that was the point. Maybe this was Regina's way of giving her a hard time before agreeing to speak to her.

Lily arrived in their rental car and they headed to get something to eat.

"Did you find out anything useful because my day was a bust?" Emma asked.

"Not a whole lot, but something is definitely up with that club," Lily said. "I talked to the detective that your friend suggested I speak to. He wasn't easy to get going, but once he did he had some interesting things to say. He is part of a drug task force and they had been investigating some heavy hitter here in town who had been bringing in drugs using various methods. Seems like every time they would catch a break it would be a red herring for an even bigger shipment or else the methods of transport would change. Then all of a sudden nothing. All their leads dried up but the drug market was going as strong as usual if not stronger. "

"What does that have to do with the club? Do they think that drugs are running through it?"

"That's the thing, they don't have a clue. Everything they have been able to find out about it shows the club is 100 percent clean. It's a legitimate business, but also one where not only do the main drug suppliers frequent but so do those who are into other illegal avenues – gun running, racketeering, hell even those suspected of doing things like insider trading or hacking. Sooner or later anyone who is anyone in regards to illegal activity ends up at the club. Rival gang leaders go in there and drink together like they are the best of buds. The only area that doesn't seem to have any contact with the club is human trafficking. They have all these surveillance photos of these criminals go into the club but can't seem to get anything of use inside the club."

They chose a restaurant near the hotel and went inside. While they ordered their food Emma gave thought to what Lily had said.

"If they don't have anything on the club, why was this detective reluctant to speak about it?

"Strange happenings," Lily said. "Just strange stuff happens around that club and he doesn't want to sound like a crazy man by talking about it. For instance, the DEA has sent undercover guys in there, hell they have even sent in actual drug dealers who they had caught and are hoping to use to get info, and everyone who walks out either does so saying how great the drinks were or some other innocuous remark about the place. Oh, and when they send people in with a wire, it starts off working fine and then they either get interference or just a lot of loud music. This detective is on the level, like totally straight-laced and he is beginning to think that club is haunted."

"Magic," Emma said. "It has to be magic."

"Yeah, which is what I was thinking which means Regina is the one behind it," Lily said. "Which means we are dealing with the Evil Queen."

Emma wasn't ready to go down that path although her parents had spent a lot of time trying to prepare her for what Regina was like at her worst. The thing was her parents didn't want to believe that Regina would revert either – her ever hopeful mom wanted to believe the good in Regina was too strong now for that to happen.

"I can't believe that she's gone that far," Emma said.

"Can't?"

"Yes, can't. Because if she has then not only am I too late but as everyone keeps reminding me this is all my fault."

Lily sighed. "It's not your fault. Regina is an adult and she chose to leave."

"Yeah, but it was my actions that pushed her in that direction," Emma said. "Maybe I should have just apologized right off the bat last night."

"Let me ask you this, do you even know what you are apologizing for?"

Emma opened her mouth to respond but then closed it. She knew why she needed to apologize. Regina had made it pretty clear in her letter why she was leaving and that reason was directed straight at Emma.

"I just have to," is all she ended up saying.

They ate dinner and swung by the club once more and while the bouncer refused to let Emma in, he told Lily she could.

"Go find her," Emma said when Lily paused to give her a questioning look.

Lily went in and Emma went back to the car, already texting Lily. "When you find her, tell her to lift the stupid ban so I can come in speak with her or better yet, have her come out here."

She sat in the car impatiently for 15 minutes before she was texting again. "Have you found her? What's happening?"

When minute 22 came around Emma was calling Lily's phone. No answer. More phone calls and texts were sent in a flurry between minutes 23 and 34.

At minute 36 when Emma was walking back toward the club to push her way in if she had to but Lily came walking out.

"What happened?" Emma asked. "You weren't returning my calls or texts."

"What calls and texts?" Lily said pulling out her phone. She showed it to Emma where there was no indication that Emma had contacted her at all.

"Did you see Regina?"

"Yes," Lily said. "As soon as I walked in some guy showed me up to that office thing and there she was talking to another man whom she dismissed right after I got there. Then things got weird."

"Weird in what way?"

"I kind of think she offered me a job in her criminal organization."

Before she explained more she suggested they walk back to the car. Once they were inside Emma was pressing her for more information.

"She gave me a drink, didn't ask if I wanted one or anything just handed it to me and told me to sit. She actually said it like that, "sit," like I was a dog or something, but not in a stern way. That is one cool lady is all I got to say because she could have been talking to me about the weather or gardening from the way she kept her voice calm," Lily said. "Anyway, she says she could use someone with my skills, someone who wasn't afraid of anything and knew how to walk on the other side of the law. She said if I was interested I was to call this number tomorrow night before 11 and she would have someone pick me up."

She showed Emma a cream colored business card that had a phone number embossed on it.

"Is this her number?" Emma asked.

"No," Lily replied. "I asked her what this was all about and she said to find that out I would need to call that number if I was in. She said the one condition she had was that it was just me – if she saw any sign of you trying to follow me the deal was off."

"Did you tell her no?"

"No," Lily said. "This could be our only chance to see what the hell she has been up to. I don't think we are in the position to say no. We don't have a lot of options here."

"We also don't have a lot of time to be dicking around so you and her can go play Bonnie and Clyde."

"Are you mad at me over this?"

"No, but did you even try to convince her that she needed to leave here and come back to Storybrooke?"

"It didn't seem like the right time to bring it up," Lily said. "I'm telling you, whatever she is into this isn't good. The guy she dismissed when I walked in, I recognized him from one of the photos the detective showed me, he is the head and I mean head of the largest drug running operation in the region. And when she told him to go, he went like he was used to doing as he was told. Believe me, these kinds of badasses do not like being told what to do."

"I know you don't want to hear this," she continued. "But maybe instead of trying to convince her that she is missed and wanted back in Storybrooke, we just tell her the truth of why we are so desperate to get her back?"

"I told you before it won't work."

"It won't work if we don't try it."

"No, it would be pointless," Emma said. "She left Storybrooke. She split her own heart. She left her son behind. If she doesn't care about her life in Storybrooke enough to come back then she isn't going to care that her coming back is the only way to save the town."


	4. Chapter 4

"I don't like this," Emma said for what was probably the 30th time that day.

Lily, who was looking out the hotel window waiting for the car that Regina was sending to pick her up, didn't bother to acknowledge Emma. It had been like this all day – Emma trying to talk her out of going on this little adventure with Regina.

"Your mother will hunt me down and kill me if anything happens to you because I let you do this," Emma continued.

"First of all, you aren't letting me do anything," Lily said, deciding it was time to end this debate. "It's my choice to do this. Secondly, I'm pretty sure if anything happens to me at Regina's hand, my mom will be hunting her down, not you."

"My point is that we don't know what Regina will do or is capable of," Emma said.

"And we didn't know what she was capable of when we came down here. Hell, we didn't even know if she was down here, but we came anyway," Lily responded. "We need to get this show on the road, and if this is the way Regina wants to play the game then we have to play the game her way for a little bit at least until we figure out what she is doing here."

Lily's phone beeped. "Car is a couple of minutes out, I better get down here," Lily said. "Just stay here and don't do anything stupid."

"Fine," Emma said.

"I know you don't like this," Lily said. "But trust me and trust that Regina isn't going to hurt me."

Lily exited the room, and Emma took her perch over by the window to watch. She would at least see what kind of car that Lily was going away in. She wanted to trust that Regina wasn't going to hurt Lily, but wasn't sure she was capable of it. Regina wasn't the same person she thought she knew back in Storybrooke.

It had taken a long time for her to get to a good place with Regina or so she thought they had gotten there. And then that damn letter that Regina had left for her.

A black sedan pulled up to the front of the hotel and Lily looked back up at the window at her before getting in. Emma pulled the curtain closed and hoped she could trust Regina.

…

Lily was more than a little surprised that Regina wasn't in the car when she got in. Instead there was a man sitting there who handed her a beer.

"We didn't really know what your preferred beverage was," he said to her. "If you let us know, we can make sure you get what you want."

Lily wasn't sure what was going on, but she opened the beer bottle anyway and took a big drink. "I like lagers," she said, afterward. "for future reference."

"Noted," he said. "The queen wants you taken care of."

"The queen? You mean Regina?"

"I would stick with the queen, if I were you."

"Noted," Lily replied. "So what's your name."

"Daryl."

"Daryl. And what do you do for the queen?"

"Anything she asks of me, just as you will."

"Is that so?"

"Yes. You will find that the queen protects her own. You join her kingdom and you will fall under her protection."

"Shouldn't it be a queendom?"

Daryl smiled at her. "You and I are going to get along just fine Lily."

Lily smiled in return and took another drink while trying to figure out just what was going on. They drove a while, the city passing by the window until the shining lights of the metropolis began to dim. Lily hid her concern by drinking the rest of her beer. It was finished by the time the car pulled into what appeared to be an abandoned industrial complex of some sort on the outskirts of the city proper.

She exited the car at the same time as Daryl. "What are we doing here?"

"We are here to party," Daryl said.

Lily gave him a strange look even as she accepted his arm to accompany him. As soon as the door opened to admit them she could hear the booming music. "You weren't kidding about a party," she said as they entered to what appeared to be a rave.

"Do you want to dance?" he asked.

She nodded and allowed herself to be lead about to the dance floor.

….

Emma was flipping through the channels, trying to keep her mind off of whatever Lily was doing right now. There was a knock at the door and Emma turned off the television and then cautiously made her way to the door and peeked out of the peephole. Opening the door quickly, she found Regina standing there.

"Where is Lily?" she asked.

"Relax," Regina said, as if she was disinterested in the question. "Lily is out enjoying herself. I thought I might stop by and chat with you for a bit before joining her. Do you mind if I come in?"

Emma moved out of the way to let her in. Maybe this would be her chance to get Regina to see reason and come home with them, she thought. Regina entered and glanced around the room. "You know if you want better accommodations while you are here, just say the word and I will arrange an upgrade."

"No thanks," Emma said. "Plus, we don't plan on staying long."

"Is that so? And why is that?"

"We need to get back home. You know, to Storybrooke .Your home too."

Regina laughed. "I have a new home now," she said before making her way over to the bed and taking a seat. Emma couldn't help but think Regina made even a hotel room look a little more regal with her in it. Regina was wearing a dress, a red one that clung to her body, and was completely un-mayor like compared to the clothes she used to wear.

"And did you choose this new home because you can do magic here?"

Regina smiled at her – an expression that looked more like the kind that she used to get from Regina when she first came to Storybrooke. "I had almost forgotten you had been getting better at magic," she said. "But yes, the magic is a bonus. Also, the climate agrees with me."

"It is certainly different than Maine weather," Emma said. "But I doubt you came here to chat about such things, so why did you come here?"

"I was going to ask you the same thing," Regina said. "What are you doing here Miss Swan? I told you, I'm not coming back, which means your continued presence here in my city must mean you believe you can convince me to return. Believe me when I say, you aren't that charming."

"Is that so? Then why are you even bothering to talk to me now?"

"Because I'm that sure you aren't going to convince me to come back and I felt I should give you a reasonable amount of time to get out of my city. You are here now because I'm allowing it. You challenge me on that and you will find just how much magic I can use against you."

Emma crossed her arms, "You know I remember not that long ago when you also told me to get out of your town. It didn't work then, it's not going to work now."

Regina stood up and invaded her personal space rather quickly. "It was my mistake not to end you on sight all of those years ago. I won't make the same mistake twice."

"Really? And if you end me, what will you tell Henry?"

She saw a slight softening of the rigid features that Regina was displaying but that quickly disappeared. Regina moved around her to the door.

"You've been warned Miss Swan."

"Wait," Emma said. "What are you doing here really?"

"I told you, I wanted to chat and make my position clear."

"No, I don't mean here in my hotel room, I mean here in Miami. Why are you here and what are you doing?"

Another smile graced her face. "That my dear is none of your business."

She walked out before Emma could say anything else. Emma took a seat on the couch even more confused as to what that was about.

….

Lily was on her third beer and still trying to figure out why she was even there. Besides it being a party, nothing else had really been said to. Daryl had chatted her up for a while but he had disappeared about 10 minutes ago to take a call he said. She finished off the beer, figuring this was a bust and probably some sort of weird practical joke on Regina's part.

"Don't tell me you are bored," came a voice behind her. She turned to find Regina standing there.

"Bored, no, just trying to figure out why you had me brought here."

"Oh I thought we might have a chat," Regina said.

"Kind of a noisy place for that," Lily said. The music was so loud they were both standing close to each other and practically yelling at each other in order to hear.

"Yes it is," Regina smiled. "Come, why don't you do me the honor of a dance, and then we can talk business."

By the time Regina took her hand and pulled her out on to the dance floor Lily was wondering what the hell was going on.

….

This time when there was a knock at the door, Emma stepped aside as she opened it as she knew it was Lily. She had gotten a text from her to say she was on the way back and would come straight to her room. What she wasn't expecting was Lily to be so quiet as the other woman merely took a seat on the chair at the desk.

"What happened?" Emma asked when Lily kept silent.

"I'm not entirely sure," Lily replied. "It was all really, really strange." There was a long pause.

"I'm going to need you to elaborate."

"Well, I'm fairly certain that Regina is a criminal mastermind who is running pretty much every criminal organization in this town. How did she do it? I'm going to go out on a limb and say it was half and half taking people's hearts or straight up seducing them. I mean this guy Daryl, he is flat out in love with her. He would probably deny it if you asked him, but he looks at her like she is the sun in the sky," Lily said. "And Hector, he doesn't speak much and I think he might be someone who makes people disappear for a living, but I also think he would lay down his life in service of her majesty. That is the other thing. People here call her the Queen. Not Regina. Just the Queen or your majesty. I called her Regina and I thought this pipsqueak lackey of hers, whose name was either Simon or Carl, it was kind of loud so it's hard to say what it was, anyway, I thought he was going to pass out when I called her that. She just laughed it off and I swear if those guys didn't have hard ons for her before that moment, they did when they heard that sound coming out of her mouth. And then there was the Queen herself. I obviously don't know her well at all so when she asked me to dance I didn't know if she was leading my death or hitting on me."

"Wait, you and she danced?"

"Yes. It was weird. It wasn't a slow dance or anything and the Queen does have some moves let me tell you," Lily said. "And she said I remind her of my mom, which given that I had just finished dancing with her, I wasn't quite sure how to take that comment."

Emma took a seat on the bed. "Maybe you should start from the beginning and tell me everything."

Lily told her about the drive out to the abandoned industrial complex which was being used for some sort of rave and how when Regina did show up she asked Lily to dance and after several songs they retreated to what must have been an old foreman's office up above. It was decked out much like Regina's office above the club was – and whether it was magic or really good soundproofing, Lily could barely make out the music playing below.

 _"You should know that I went to see Miss Swan before coming here," Regina said as she took a seat on the couch and indicated that Lily should do the same. "Don't worry, she's fine. I only wanted to reiterate my position with her which is that I'm not returning to Storybrooke and my desire for her to leave soon. I have other matters to attend to and I don't need Miss Swan interfering because that is what she does, makes a nuisance of herself. But you Lily, you I've decided to extend an invitation to."_

 _"Why me?"_

 _"Now, now, Lily, don't tell me you have forgotten that I was there when Miss Swan went looking for you in the first place; that I know what Miss Swan's parents did to you and how you were separated from Mal for all those years. You are a special person to have survived on your own and a person who isn't afraid to get their hands dirty. I could use someone like you – someone who isn't going to make self-righteous moral judgments upon others," Regina said. "Offering you a job and a chance to get out of that town up north is the least I could do for all you have been through. Hell, I will even extend the invitation to your mother if you wish her to join you down here. I know Mal isn't interested in judging others."_

 _"Alright, if this is a job offer, what exactly is the job?"_

 _"I don't want to get too far into the specifics just yet," Regina said. "You see, I have a dilemma. I can't be everywhere at once despite what people may think. Ever since I consolidated operations here in Miami it is taking a lot more of my time to keep things running than I would like to devote to it. I need people I can trust to take some of this burden off my shoulders. I believe you could be such a person."_

 _"What operations have you consolidated?"_

 _"Don't do that," Regina said. "Don't pretend that you and Miss Swan haven't been researching what you can about what I'm doing here. Feigning ignorance doesn't suit you."_

 _"Fair enough," Lily said. "But that doesn't mean that I really know what you have going on here. I can tell you what I learned, which is that the authorities think your club is the epicenter of all sorts of criminal activity, yet they can't find a single shred of proof of that being the case. If I believed all the speculation the cops have then I would say you have your hands in a lot of things from drugs to gun running. You are a mastermind if I were to believe all of that, yet, no one outside of those around you seem to know who you are and even these people you surround yourself with don't really know who you are. My point is that the authorities don't have a single clue as to your existence. That club, which you clearly control, isn't in your name and on paper you probably don't exist at all out here in the real world. Now how close did I get?"_

 _Regina clapped her hands a few times as she smiled at her. "You are so close," she said. "For all intents and purposes I run this town. Very little of importance happens without me knowing about it, and if I disapprove of it, it's taken care of rather quickly."_

 _"So, you admit you are running drugs and guns through the city?"_

 _"Me, personally no. The people who were doing it before I arrived here are still doing it. You could say that I'm managing the situation however and reaping rewards from it. You see before I got here, there were all these petty arguments between rival gangs, drug dealers who were in constant competition and wasting resources on a game of one-upmanship. I came in and organized it. Now everyone concentrates on the business and not on the stupid distractions."_

 _"Then you are some sort of kingpin type figure," Lily said._

 _"Simplistic but not entirely inaccurate. Are you interested?"_

 _"Perhaps," Lily said. "But before I agree to anything, I'm going to need some specifics."_

 _"That can be arranged."_

Lily then told Emma how she was going to be picked up again the next day by Daryl during the day so he could show her around a bit.

"And what is Regina going to be going while he is taking you around on tour?" Emma asked.

"Don't know. She didn't say and I didn't ask. I thought the best play right now was to go along with this little charade until we get some more information on what she is doing here."

"I don't know that we have a lot of time for you to play undercover," Emma said.

"Do you have a better suggestion?"

"If she isn't willing to come back on her own, maybe we will have to force the issue."

"You mean kidnap her."

"We can't not bring her back with us."

"I get that," Lily said. "Which is why I'm going to again suggest that we just be honest with her. What is so horribly wrong with telling her that the town that she built from her magic is under siege and crumbling? I know you think she won't care, and she may not, but don't you think she should at least have all the information so she can make an informed decision? My mom and Zelena can only do so much with their magic."

"Fine," Emma said. "But I want to be the one to tell her. Do you think you can get Daryl to arrange a meeting with her?"

Lily sighed. "I don't think that is a good idea."

"Why not?"

"One of the conditions for me taking this job, whatever it is exactly, is that my first official task is to ensure you leave the city and don't come back," Lily said. "She really doesn't like you."

"She has good reason not to like me," Emma said. "I destroyed her happiness."

"Robin's death wasn't your fault."

"Wasn't it?" Emma said. "I'm the one who drug my family and Regina to the Underworld to get Killian back. I did that. No one else. I even took my son there. What was I thinking? And now this. If Storybrooke falls it will be my fault and you can say it's not all you want, but we both know that if I hadn't gone to the Underworld none of this would be happening now."

"There was no way you could have known."

Emma thought once more about the letter she kept with her. She may have not known exactly what was going to happen, but Regina had warned her and she ignored that warning and now everyone was going to pay the price if she couldn't find a way to get Regina back to Storybrooke.

"Look, just ask Daryl to arrange the meeting. Tell him that if Regina agrees to meet me one-on-one and hear me out that I will leave town afterward if that is what she still wants."

"In other words, you want me to lie to him because we both know you aren't going to leave town."

"Oh, I will leave town," Emma said. "But she is coming with me one way or another."


	5. Chapter 5

When Lily left with Daryl the next day, Emma decided she wasn't going to wait around in the hotel room all day for her to return. Instead she returned to the club, even though it wasn't open, so she could at least scope it out some more. She couldn't get inside due to Regina's magic, but she kept an eye on the comings and goings of people from the seat of her rental car.

It wasn't just employees coming in either. There was one shipment of alcohol brought in, which seemed normal enough, but shortly after that, two cars pulled up to the front and several men in designer clothes got out and were admitted through the front door. The group of eight guys were in there for over an hour before coming out once more and getting in their cars and leaving.

She made note of the cars' makes and models and license plates. It wasn't long after they left that another car pulled up – again a nicely dressed man and two others, who she could tell had guns under their suit jackets went in through the front.

Another hour passed before they came back out. Emma had to wonder if these men were involved in some of the illegal activities that Regina was overseeing. It still didn't make any sense to her. What would be the point of Regina being involved in any of this?

She wasn't evil. She wasn't a criminal. Had the loss of the good part of her heart really changed her that much?

She thought back to Storybrooke and one of the fights she had gotten into with Killian over Regina.

 _"It's time you stop this," he said to her._

 _"I can't stop," Emma said. "I have to find her."_

 _"It's not your responsibility," he said._

 _"How can you say that? You of all people?"_

 _"She chose to leave," Killian said. "She chose to rip out her own heart, leave a couple of notes and then she left. She did all of that, not you. Just because she left you some letter designed to place blame on you doesn't mean you have to accept the blame. She's the evil queen, she probably wrote that letter without her whole heart in, knowing it would have this effect on you. She's calculating and this is her way of punishing you."_

 _"Maybe I deserve it," she shot back. "Robin is dead. Do you even care about that?"_

 _"Of course I do love, but tell me what his death has to with us."_

 _"Are you kidding me right now? It has everything to do with us," Emma said. "He is dead because of the choices we made. You know what I'm not even going to say we, he is dead because of the choices I made. I'm responsible for her being gone because I promised her a happy ending and then flaunted my own supposed happy ending in her face when Robin was barely even buried in the ground."_

 _"What do you mean supposed happy ending?" Killian said._

 _"You know what, I can't do this right now with you," she said. "I have a lead on where she might be so I have to go check it out. We can talk again when I return."_

 _She moved to leave and he grabbed her by the arm to stop her. "You came to the Underworld for me," he said. "You aren't leaving Storybrooke for her."_

 _She pulled away from him. "I said we will talk when I get back."_

She had only been gone for four days on what ended up being a waste of time but when she returned was when it all began to go south.

Emma was so wrapped up in the memory she almost missed a car pulling up to the front of the club. A guy got out but all he did was stand there holding the door open. A moment later Regina came out of the club, got into driver's seat and pulled away and she was alone.

Pulling out, she began to tail the sedan that Regina was driving, hoping that she was far enough back as not to cause Regina to notice she was being followed. They went halfway across the city before Regina parked her car in front of a building that looked like a school. Emma pulled past her and parked down the street before walking back to get a better look at this place.

"Miss Swan, no wonder it took you so long to find me. I can't believe this kind of thing is something you were actually paid to do," Regina said.

Emma had turned as soon Regina had started talking. "If you knew I was following you, then why lead me here?"

"Oh, I come here every week around this time, and not even your interference will keep me from it," she said.

"Then you won't mind if I accompany you to …" Emma turned to look at the building, seeing the sign for the first time. "this orphanage. Why are you at an orphanage?"

Regina ignored her and started to walk toward the door and Emma quickly caught up with her. Even if she didn't have a million questions before now, she had just added a few hundred more.

There was some sort of security button/intercom beside the door. Regina pressed it and a moment later the door was opened by a boy, who was maybe 10.

"Gina!" the boy said, rushing into her arms as she bent down to give him a hug.

"HI, Myles," she said, getting back up.

"Who's this?" he asked, pointing at Emma.

"This is Miss Swan," Regina said.

"Is she like a teacher?" he asked. "My teacher at school is a Miss Chandler."

Regina laughed, "No. Miss Swan is merely what I call her."

"Hey kid," Emma said. "You can call me Emma. I'm a friend of Gina's." She looked at Regina, challenging her to correct her in front of the kid.

Regina again ignored her and walked inside, with Myles holding her hand. Emma hesitated before following her in. She couldn't help but look around and compare everything to the orphanage she had been put in.

They got to what appeared to be the office and Myles said goodbye, waving to Emma and then running off. Regina entered the office and was greeted warmly once again by the receptionist there.

"Is she in?" Regina asked.

"In the back. Had some vandalism the last night."

"One of the kids?"

"Not one of ours, but probably one of the neighborhood kids," she said. "Anyway, she's back there painting over it."

"Thanks," Regina said, before leaving the room with Emma on her heels.

"Is this an old school?" Emma asked.

"Yes. It was converted to an orphanage about 20 years ago. It was an outdated building back then," Regina said. "The neighborhood around here has become more gentrified in the last decade and many would prefer if this place wasn't here."

"Hence the vandalism?"

Regina nodded.

As they passed by rooms that had once been classes and were now bedrooms with bunk beds, many kids would come out and say hi to Gina. There were several hugs and they were delayed several times as kids wanted to show Gina their latest art work, or their grade cards or whatever. And to her surprise, Regina knew everyone's name.

They finally made it outside where Emma was again surprised. She assumed that they were going to see whoever was the orphanage director – imagining an older, grey-haired woman. Instead it was a woman probably around her age. She was a Latino woman with dark black hair, cropped short and was wearing a tank top and jeans with some paint already splotched on them.

"Gina," the woman said, putting her paint brush down and she paused before Regina motioned that she didn't mind being hugged even with the paint splatters. The hug lasted a little longer than what Emma expected and it didn't end until the woman realized Regina wasn't alone.

"Hi," she said, and put her hand out.

"Emma," she responded, shaking the offered hand.

"Hannah," the woman said.

Regina had stepped away from them and was looking at the vandalism Hannah had been painting over. "I could have a security system complete with cameras set up in less than 24 hours," she said.

"Thank you, but you are already doing so much," Hannah said. "Besides, we won't be here much longer."

"Why not?" Emma asked.

Hannah glanced over at Regina as if asking her permission and she didn't speak until Regina gave her a small nod.

"We're in the process of building a new orphanage. Instead of an old school, we are getting a brand new building that is less than two weeks from us moving in. The kids for the most part will have rooms either to themselves or with just one other kid with them. A real nursery. Security," she said smiling at Regina. "The only thing we will be bringing with us is our own belongings. It will be fully furnished with new furniture, two computer labs, study rooms, a library, staffs rooms, fully handicap accessible, a full playground. Really it's everything I could possibly have dreamed of."

"Wow," Emma said. "A place like that has to cost a lot. Is this state funded?"

"No," Hannah said. "We have rather generous benefactor."

Emma didn't miss the look of total gratitude that Hannah gave Regina.

"None of it would be possible without Hannah. She worked with the architects in order for them to know what the place should have," Regina said. "I've never seen someone with as much dedication as she has."

If Emma wasn't mistaken she could have sworn Hannah was blushing at the compliment.

"Miss Swan, could you maybe give me and Hannah a moment," Regina asked.

"Yeah, sure, I'll just check out the rest of the place."

She closed the door behind her as she entered the building, but not before she heard Hannah say, "So that is Emma. Are you ok?"

She thought about sticking around to listen in, but Myles was at the end of hall beckoning for her to come over. She went over to him and he immediately grabbed her hand and she followed him to what appeared to be a community playroom. Once there she somehow ended up playing a game of Clue with them.

Clue was followed by several games of Uno. As they played she asked some questions about Gina.

"She's nice," said one of the girls, Susie. "She brings us gifts like new books. She reads to some of the younger kids and she's just nice."

"Yes, nice," Myles chimed in. "She is nice like Hannah is nice."

"Hannah. She and Gina are friends?" Emma asked.

"They are girlfriends," said one of the other kids, Josiah. He was younger than Susie or Myles so Emma wondered if maybe he didn't understand what girlfriends meant.

After the third game of Uno. Emma excused herself to go find Regina. She ended up back in the office area.

"I was looking for Gina," she told the receptionist.

"She is in with the director," was the answer.

Emma took a seat and waited for another 10-15 minutes before Regina exited with Hannah. "I will call you later," Regina said to her and then said goodbye to the receptionist before walking by Emma as if she wasn't there. Emma was about to follow her out but Hannah put a hand on her arm.

"Don't hurt her anymore than you already have," Hannah said. "She doesn't deserve it."

Emma was so shocked by it that she didn't know what to say and then Hannah was walking away and not giving her the chance to even defend herself. And she didn't know how to defend herself either, so she merely left and caught up to Regina who was already walking outside.

"Do you want to clue me in to what that was all about?" Emma asked.

"No, not particularly."

"No, really, I would like to know what the hell is going on," Emma said grabbing her and forcing her to face her. "I mean what are you doing down here? Are you some criminal mastermind or are you playing Santa Claus? Why are you here?"

"I'm here because you aren't here," she said. "Now I've indulged your presence long enough for one day."

"No," Emma said. "You and I need to talk, really talk. Regina, I came here to bring you back home but there is more to it than that."

"I don't care."

"Bullshit," Emma said. "You care. You are building an entire orphanage for these kids, so don't stand there and tell me you don't care."

"Fine, let me rephrase it. I don't care about anything going on back in your town."

Regina started to walk away once again. "Storybrooke is in danger."

This caused Regina to turn back toward her, but with a laugh. "Storybrooke is always in danger. And I am done saving it. You may have the title of Savior Miss Swan, but who was there helping out whenever things went south? And what did it ever get me? Whatever the danger is, solve it yourself Savior."

"I can't," Emma said. "We need you. Just give me 15 minutes to explain what is happening back home."

"No."

"Regina," Emma said more forcibly this time. "I'm sorry, ok? I didn't mean to hurt you, but if you would just let me explain …"

"Explain what? Explain how we all risked our lives to go to the underworld to bring back your true love while Robin dies and you don't even shed a tear over it. No, you are too busy kissing that pirate over Robin's grave," Regina yelled. "What do you possibly think you could say that will make any of that better?"

"Gina?" Both women turned to see Hannah standing there. "You ok?"

"Yes," Regina said to her. "I'm ok."

Hannah still walked over to them, well rather to Emma. "You don't listen very well do you?" Hannah said. "I believe Regina said she was leaving."

Hannah nodded to Regina and Regina walked toward her car and Hannah made sure she was blocking Emma's path. Once Regina was in her car and driving away, Hannah moved out of the way.

"Gina is a good person," Hannah said. "She may not see herself that way, but she is. Whatever you are doing here, I suggest you wrap it up and get moving."

"I'm sorry, who do you think you are?" Emma asked. "You don't know me and you don't know Gina. You think just because she is building you a nice, new orphanage that you know her. Did you even question where that money is coming from?"

"I didn't have to question it," Hannah said. "She told me. She's told me everything Emma, everything. I know who she is. I know she is the former Evil Queen of the Snow White tale. I know about the Enchanted Forest, I know about Storybrooke. I know about you, about Henry, about all of it."

Emma backed up a step. Who was this woman who Regina had chosen to tell the truth to and why would this woman even believe it?

 **Next reader question:** How should Emma get Regina back to Storybrooke – convince her? Kidnap her? Or enlist Hannah's help? You can leave a comment with your choice, or send me a message through my Tumblr or Twitter ( pcworth2012)


	6. Chapter 6

Emma returned to the hotel after she failed to get any more information from Hannah about what was going on with Regina. She spent the whole drive back wondering who this Hannah was. Nothing made sense to her about this woman.

Why would she ever believe a word Regina said once Regina told her the actual truth?

None of this made sense.

She was still deep in thought when Lily came in the room.

"You been sitting here all day?" Lily asked.

"Nope," Emma said, and then she went on to tell her about her day.

"Wow, that is … I don't even know what to say," Lily said.

"Neither do I."

"Well, let me tell you about my day," Lily said. "because it is about as unbelievable as your day. Daryl took me around to show me a bit of how this whole operation works and it's impressive."

Lily told her how Daryl showed her how the drug part of the operation worked – or atleast gave her an idea of how it worked. He was being honest but at the same time cautious. She assumed Regina had given him instructions on what to tell her or not tell her.

"This operation works like clockwork. The money drops and the drug deals are like scheduled down to the second," Lily said. "And there is no violence. Regina doesn't mind letting her people use intimidation but violence is a no-no unless Regina has given the go-ahead for it."

"Does she do that often?"

"I don't know. I gather there was some violence in the beginning, but once she took firm control then every fell in line," Lily said. "Like I said, no one disobeys her. "

"What about the money?" Emma asked. "Where does it go?"

"Back to Regina."

Emma stood up. She had already suspected that Regina had used the money to make Hannah's dream of a new orphanage come true. But if the operation was as massive as Lily was saying then Regina probably had more money coming in than what she was using for her philanthropic side project.

"Ok, but she has to be giving money to other people – you know giving them their part of the pie or something," Emma said.

"I don't know. If she is, she didn't let me see any part of that today," Lily said. "Here is the thing, all these deals I did see, they were all high-end clients. We're talking guys in suits and women in tailor-made clothing. None of this is going on street level. I asked Daryl and he said one of the first things Regina did was shut down that part of the operation – the nickel and dime drug dealer stuff. She only wanted to target the rich."

Emma walked over to the window. Her mind was trying to work through all of this, but nothing was making any sense to her. It's like she was reading a mystery by opening it in the middle and not knowing anything about what happened before she started reading.

Then a thought entered her mind and she couldn't help but laugh a little.

"What's so funny?" Lily asked.

Emma turned back toward her. "Don't you see what she is doing?" Lily just shrugged.

"She's taking from the rich and giving it to the poor," Emma said. "She has set herself up like she is …"

"Robin Hood," Lily finished for her.

That was it, it had to be Emma reasoned. In her owned warped way Regina was doing something to honor Robin's legacy.

"This is good," Emma said.

"How so?"

"It means she isn't too far gone," Emma responded. "A part of her still cares if she cares enough to do this for Robin's memory."

"Yeah, but how do we use that to our advantage?"

For that Emma didn't have an answer and she took a seat once more.

"Have you spoken to your mom today?" Emma asked.

"No, I was planning on calling her tonight, why?"

"Just wondering what's going on back home," Emma responded. "Wondering how much time we have left."

Emma bit her bottom lip. She needed to get Regina back to Storybrooke. She had told Henry she would, she had told her parents she would and she had told the citizenry she would. Only Regina could set this right.

"If there was anything pressing going on back there mom would have called so we at least have some time."

"Let's hope. I just wish Regina would sit and talk to me, so I can tell her what is happening, but she isn't interested in listening to me at all."

"Then maybe she will listen to me," Lily said. "She doesn't know me so she doesn't have any particular strong feelings about me either way. Look, she wanted me for her crew so at the very least she should be willing to meet with me face-to-face. I can explain to her what is happening."

"Ok," Emma said, even though she felt like she should be one to explain it to Regina. That is why she was here after all – because she felt like it needed to be her. Beyond even what was happening back home she needed to have some time with Regina and really talk to her. "But you will probably get one shot at this, so you need to make her understand why we can't leave here without her."

….

Lily took another drink, feeling more and more nervous although she couldn't really say why exactly. She had come to the club and asked to speak with Regina. That was nearly an hour ago.

She understood that Regina was a very busy woman but this still seemed like it was taking longer than it should.

"Need a refill?" Daryl asked, taking a seat next to her at the bar.

"No, I'm good yet."

"I'm sure her majesty will be done soon enough and talk with you," Daryl said. "She wouldn't leave you sitting here if that is what you are worried about."

"I'm not worried, just don't like waiting."

"Should I be worried?"

"Huh?"

"I just mean I spent all day with you and now you are here to speak with the boss, so did I do something wrong?"

"No," she smiled, as she could tell Daryl was genuinely worried. "You didn't do anything wrong. I just want to speak to her about this job offer."

"Are you going to take it?"

"You know how I told you that my mom and Regina go way back? Well, my mom sent me here to find Regina. And I can't say yes or no to this job until I speak to Regina about what my mom wanted me to tell her. I am hoping to resolve that part of things tonight."

"You close with your mom?"

Lily took another drink. "I've been getting closer with her. She didn't raise me. We were reunited a couple of years ago and part of that was due to Regina and my friend Emma."

"Your friend Emma is the one our queen dislikes."

"Two questions – why do you call her queen or your majesty? How do you know Regina doesn't like Emma?"

"I call her that as a sign of respect. And her majesty likes and gets along with everyone I have ever seen her interact with so when she banned this Emma chick from here, I knew it was serious. What is the story there anyway, lovers quarrel of some sort?"

"You mean Regina and Emma? No. They aren't like that. At least as far as I know they aren't. Besides Emma said Regina has something going with someone named Hannah. What's the story there?"

"That might be something you want to ask her about if you really want to know the answer."

One of the waiters came up to the table. "She will see you now," was all he said before walking away.

Lily downed her drink and laid the glass down in front of Daryl. "Wish me luck."

"For what it's worth, I hope you take the job," he said.

As she walked up to Regina's office she had the feeling like this was all more dangerous than she had previously thought. She wasn't sure why she was feeling this way all of a sudden.

The door to the office was open when she got up there but she still paused in the doorway.

"Come in," Regina said. "Go ahead and close the door behind you."

Lily did as instructed and took a seat in a chair in front of the desk where Regina was sitting. Regina didn't say anything to her as she did, merely kept working on something on her tablet.

"You know I'm not taking the job, don't you?"

"I do," Regina said, putting the tablet down on the desk and looking at her. "Although I can't say I'm all that sure as to why."

Lily shook her head no. "I didn't come out here looking for a job."

"That is a shame. I do hope you are as smart as I think you are and will not speak of what you learned about my business operations to anyone, not that it truly matters, but still, I do hate it when people can't keep their mouths shut."

Having learned Regina's background from her mom and to some extent Emma, she knew that this might be the truest statement Regina had ever said to her.

"Well if that is all, I wish you good night," Regina said, putting her focus back on her tablet.

"That's not all," Lily said. "I came up here not just to tell you no about the job. I came here to ask you to come back to Storybrooke with me and Emma."

Regina looked up at her once more, her expression one of annoyance.

"Would you at least hear me out?" Lily said.

"No," Regina said, waving her hand and Lily suddenly found herself outside of the club.

Lily started walking back to her car. "The hard way it is," she said.


	7. Chapter 7

For the next two days Lily and Emma set up surveillance on the club. They made note of people coming and going and at what times – looking for patterns. When Lily had returned to the hotel after speaking briefly with Regina, Emma had come to the conclusion that taking Regina by force was their only option.

How to do that exactly remained a big question mark.

Yes, they had anticipated before leaving Storybrooke that if they found her and she was unwilling to come back on her own that they would need to essentially abduct her. It was a plan that not everyone was comfortable with – the chief being her mother. The ever-optimistic Snow White seemed to think that Regina could be reasoned with no matter what.

Mal had rolled her eyes at the very notion.

They had even brought a magic dampening bracelet that Mal had made just in case. It would appear they were in a "just in case" scenario.

Of course, they weren't expecting Regina to be heading up a criminal empire where she was always around other people.

Tracking Regina was even harder than anticipated. They had no idea where she was actually living as it appeared she never left the club at night but yet somehow ended up being driven to the club the next day. It had to be magic, but Emma had no idea how to track it to figure out where Regina was calling home in this city.

They were going to be speaking with Mal tonight on the phone to not only get an update on how things were in Storybrooke but also see if she could help them navigate some of Regina's magic.

If they couldn't track her to wherever she was sleeping, it left them with only two certainties as far as locations went – the club and the orphanage. Regina had told Emma she went to the orphanage at the same time every week. Emma didn't really like the idea of taking Regina while there with all those kids around.

They might not have a choice though as it was also the only place Regina appeared to go without any of her personnel around. It was why Emma was again parked down the street from the place, considering options about pulling off an abduction there.

She couldn't help but think of her own time in an orphanage – memories best left in the back of her mind.

Again, she wondered about this orphanage and Regina. Did Regina choose it? Had she met Hannah first? Why pour her money into this charitable cause as opposed to all the others she probably could have done?

What was the significance of this place?

She was so lost in thought that she was startled when someone knocked on the passenger side window. Turning, she saw Hannah bending over slightly to look in the car and signaling for her to unlock the door.

Reluctantly, Emma did so and Hannah slipped into the passenger seat.

"Kids live here," Hannah began. "Which means we try and be watchful of things like cars we have never seen before parked for long periods of time, especially when no one ever gets out of the car. So, do you want to explain to me what you are doing here?"

Emma was so shocked by this turn of events that she didn't speak at first, prompting Hannah to speak again.

"Whatever you are doing here, whatever it is that you want, just don't," Hannah said. "Leave her alone."

Emma turned toward her, tired of this woman's presumptions. "Look, I don't know who you think you are," Emma said. "But none of this is any of your business."

"You being here would suggest otherwise," Hannah said. "Now what is it that you are doing here?"

"Why did you believe her?" Emma asked. "You said she told you who she really is, if that's that case, why would you believe that?"

"It's the truth is it not, that she is the Evil Queen of the fairy tale? That she used a poisoned apple on your mom? That she cursed an entire realm into this world? That is all true, correct?"

"Yes, but …"

"No, no but. It's the truth. Gina has always told me the truth. I know about what she does. I know about how she makes the money that she is using to build the new orphanage. Do I approve of what she is doing? No, I do not," Hannah said. "But before she came to town we had gang wars, we had murders happening on a nightly basis and people were afraid to go out at night in many neighborhoods. Since she has consolidated things, that hasn't happened. Again, I don't condone the things she is doing, but I can't argue with the results either."

"So what, you are getting a shiny new orphanage so the rest be damned? She needs to be stopped."

"Is that why you are here, to stop her? Did you come all this way because you can't stand the idea that she might be on the loose and living her own life?"

"That isn't it."

"Then what is it?" Hannah asked, a sternness in her voice that showed she wasn't about to back down from Emma. "Why are you here?"

"I'm here because our town, the town she created, is under siege and she is the only one who can save it," Emma said. "I am here because there is no other option but to bring her back."

"She doesn't want to go back," Hannah said.

"And how do you know that?" Emma said. "Who are you to even be involving yourself in this?"

"First of all, you are the one sitting outside of the orphanage I run," she shot back. "Secondly, I know this because I actually talk with Gina. I don't invade her life and make demands of her. I listen when she speaks."

"I have tried to talk her, but she won't listen to me," Emma protested. "Do you think I want to be doing this, that I want to be at odds with her? I don't. I never did. I just don't know how it all went wrong."

Even as she said it, she knew it wasn't the truth. She knew what the catalyst to all of this was, just as she knew it was her fault. Regina had laid it all out for her in her perfect penmanship.

She was the reason why Regina had chosen this path.

"If you don't want it to be this way then maybe you need to change it," Hannah suggested. "Gina isn't perfect, believe me, I know, but it doesn't mean she deserves to be hurt like she has been. If you want to change things between the two of you, you will need to win back her trust."

Sighing, Emma, turned from her and then back to her. "We don't have time for that."

"Why? What is so important about what is happening back there in Storybrooke and why do you need Gina? You tell me that and if I think your reasoning is sound, I might consider helping you," Hannah said.

"Why would you do that, help me I mean?"

This time it was Hannah who was looking away and she stayed that way for what seemed like several minutes although Emma knew it was much shorter. Who is the woman, she again thought, and what is it between her and Regina?

Finally, Hannah began to speak, although she didn't turn to Emma.

"I take care of kids who don't have anyone to take care of themselves," Hannah said. "I've seen all kinds of children – those who people had written off as bad seeds who really just needed someone to be there for them. Children have amazing resiliency but somehow we lose that as adults. We don't come back as quickly as we once did when we were hurt. When I met Gina I saw someone who was broken like I have seen so many children and I knew in that moment she needed someone to be there for her. And I wanted to be that person."

"But one thing you learn in my line of work, is that you can't save everyone," Hannah said, as she faced Emma. "I can't save her. And I want to, I want to see that hurt disappear from her eyes, but I can't do it."

"At least not alone," she added.

Emma nodded. "Ok, then. You answered my question so I will answer yours. Has Gina told you anything about the Home Office?"

"What do they have to do with this?"

"Everything."

…

When Emma left Hannah, she returned to the hotel where Lily was waiting on her. She walked into the room where Lily was pacing back and forth talking on the phone and she shook her head slightly at Emma, who gave her a concerned look.

"I get that," Lily said, "but there is a reason why Emma and I are out here and you and Zelena are back there. You two know what to do with your magic, Emma and I are amateurs at best. We can't take on Regina and her magic and she knows it."

Emma sat down, realizing Lily must be talking to her mom and earlier than they were scheduled to talk to her. And it didn't sound like it was a good conversation.

"Put her on speaker," Emma said.

Lily told her mom that Emma was there and she was switching over to speaker.

"Emma, you need to get Regina back here now," Mal said.

"Working on it," Emma responded.

"You have the bracelet, you are going to have to get that on her now and bring her back," Mal said. "There was another breach today and Zelena barely got it closed off. It's getting worse. At this point I don't really care how you do it, knock her ass out if you have to, get her here."

"I have told her over and over that we are doing our best out here," Lily said.

"We might have an unexpected ally," Emma said. "That woman Hannah, the one who runs the orphanage, she is considering helping us."

"We don't have time for her to be considering it," Mal said.

"She may be our only hope."

There was a pause. "Who is this woman again?"

"I really don't know," Emma said. "She's friends with Regina, or Gina, as she calls her, but there is something off about her. I'm not sure what it is, but she does appear to care for Regina."

"If she cares for her, why would she help you?"

"That is one of the many questions I have about her," Emma said. "Like I said, there is something off about her. But I do think we can trust her as crazy as that seems."

"And how exactly is she going to help you?"

"We don't know here Regina is going to be except at the club at night which is like a fortress for her or the orphanage and I don't want to grab her there."

"Why not?"

"It's an orphanage Mal, a place for children that have no one but the people there to care for them. I won't take Regina on in front of these children. I won't. And with Hannah's help I won't have to," Emma said. "She knows where Regina's home is at in the city."

"Ok," Mal said. "But you have to hurry. In a matter of days Storybrooke could fall."

….

Long after Emma had left, Hannah was still thinking about what she had been told about what was happening in Storybrooke with the Home Office.

She found that she had no idea how Regina would react to such news either. They hadn't known each other long so there was still much she didn't know about the other woman and what she did know had come in fits and starts. When Regina had confided to her about who she really was, Regina had been surprised when Hannah had accepted as fact.

Later Regina would admit that when she told her the truth she had also been planning on erasing Hannah's memory of it. She had said it was a moment of weakness that had caused her to reveal her true self.

Regina had been unprepared for Hannah's immediate response, which was, "Ok, so tell me what do the stories have wrong about you, because the stories are always wrong."

After her initial surprise Regina had laughed and began to tell her the story of her life.

But the narrative was not like a story. It didn't come from her with a strict beginning, middle and end. Instead Regina could tell part of the story for an hour or more, then Hannah wouldn't hear any of it for days, then maybe get a quick 20 minute anecdote from Regina's life and then later it would feel like she was reciting chapter of chapter.

It was a good thing Hannah was a great listener because she was able to piece much of it together, but the thing about piecing something together, you can't get a complete picture if you don't have all of the pieces.

Therefore, Regina did remain a mystery to her.

All she knew was that the moment Regina knew of Emma's and Lily's presence here, she had come to Hannah. She had shared her fears with Hannah that there being there meant Regina would have to move on – another ending is what she called it.

She had seemed sad, but that hadn't lasted. The sadness turned to anger – anger that Emma was there and again trying to destroy her life. She wanted Emma to go away, and she was willing to do what it took to make her go away.

That had scared Hannah because she hadn't seen Regina give into anger and she didn't want her to.

Now she had to figure out her own next move. Did she tell Regina what Emma had told her? Did she help Emma? Or did she try and stay out of it completely?

After all, she hadn't really answered the question when Emma asked if Regina had told her about the Home Office.

Regina had, but what Hannah hadn't told her in return was that she already knew about the Home Office.


	8. Chapter 8

Emma waited outside the orphanage for Hannah to come out. She had given her the day to think things through and Emma could only hope that Hannah would have come to a favorable decision. If nothing else she needed to get Hannah to tell her where Regina was living.

With that information, she and Lily could plan a better way to nab to Regina. At this point, they knew that is what it would take – an abduction. Regina wasn't going to come with them willingly, so this is where they were at.

It was Emma's hope that even after abducting her, once they had Regina in a position where she was forced to listen to them, that Regina would then willingly come with them.

After talking with Maleficent, Emma had begun doing research on Hannah and what she found – or rather what she didn't find that made her more suspicious of the woman. In her previous line of work she had to deal with a lot of people who tried to switch identities to hide who they really were. She had gotten pretty good at spotting certain things in a person's background check that didn't add up. She had ran into that with Hannah.

The woman didn't have any social media accounts so Emma had to stick with other types of data to track down her background. Her education for instance. According to what she could find, Hannah had attended UCLA and gotten her undergraduate and graduate degrees in social work. But she couldn't find anything – a graduation notice, a dean's list, club notes or anything that actually tied the name Hannah Easterly to UCLA.

The background was perfect for someone just trying to fool an employer doing a simple background check, but it wouldn't hold up to true scrutiny if a person knew what to look for. Emma did.

Emma doubted anyone outside of someone like her who knew what to look for would be suspicious at all about it. So why was Hannah using a fake identity and who was she really?

If Emma didn't need her help, she would confront Hannah with immediately. First, she wanted to hear Hannah's decision. If it wasn't the decision Emma needed, then she would question Hannah more on who she was.

She wondered at first if Regina had set up the background for her. With her criminal empire it wouldn't have been difficult to do so, but Hannah predated Regina's arrival here.

Emma also wondered how they met. Had Regina been seeking a cause to give her ill-gotten gains to? Or had they simply met randomly?

She was so lost in thought she was startled when Hannah knocked on the passenger side window. Emma indicated it was unlocked and Hannah slipped into the seat.

"Thank you for coming," Emma said.

"Don't thank me yet," Hannah said. "I can't help you."

"Can't or won't?"

"Does it matter?"

"You know what, it does," Emma said.

"Fine, I won't. I think we are done now."

Hannah got out of the car and Emma followed suit, rushing around to the side of the car to block her.

"I explained what is happening back at Storybrooke. I get that you don't have any connection to it, but would you really be willing to sit back and do nothing when you could have done something? Because that doesn't sound like the kind of person you are."

"You don't know anything about me."

"No one does, do they Hannah, although I'm guessing that isn't your real name," Emma said. "Tip for your next identity theft, don't make it so perfect. Everyone's background is flawed. Tell me, does Regina know who you really are?"

Hannah took a step back as if appraising Emma once more.

"Yes," Hannah said. "So, if you think you were going to use that information to gain some leverage on her or me, you can forget it. Just like I know you aren't going to go to the authorities about it either."

"Oh yeah, and how do you know that?"

"Because you've been inside that building. You have seen the kids in there and you have seen that I care about them and you wouldn't take me away from them. Because you know what life is like for kids like that and how rare it is for them to find a place where they are loved," Hannah said. "So, as I was saying, I think we are done now."

Emma knew Hannah was right, that she wouldn't do anything to jeopardize those kids in there, but she also had an entire town to save. Something had to give.

"Please Hannah," Emma said. "There is too much at stake here for you to just walk away. We need your help. We need to know where Regina lives. Just give me that information and you never have to hear from me ever again."

"You don't get it do you?" Hannah said. "I care about Regina and I don't want to be a part of betraying her trust. Her whole life people have been taking advantage of her, using her for their own purposes. Her mother did it, Rumpelstiltskin did it, and you did it. You took her and your family down to the Underworld all for your own selfish reasons. Look at what it cost her."

Emma was getting tired of being blamed for things by this woman. Hannah didn't know anything about her so Emma wasn't going to sit back and be judged by her.

"Don't you dare lecture me about things you don't know about," Emma said. "Do you think I'm happy with the way things turned out? Do you think I wanted Robin to die? I didn't want to see Regina get hurt. I still don't want to see her get hurt, but what's happening now is bigger than the problems between she and I. If the Home Office manages to get through the protective barrier into Storybrooke what is it that you think they will do to the inhabitants there? Maybe I didn't paint a good enough picture for you of the situation there because I don't have time to play nice with Regina right now. I don't have the luxury of sitting down with her and asking for her forgiveness for what I did. If I had the time, I would take the time. Storybrooke will fall if we don't get Regina back there. So, I'm asking you again, please help us."

A part of Hannah wanted to help Emma. She wasn't on board with the idea of taking Regina back to Storybrooke against her own will, but she also thought Regina needed to stop running. If nothing else, Regina needed to see her son again. But Hannah was not sure she could risk being anywhere near this problem. She had hidden her identity to keep the Home Office from ever finding her again. She knew better than Emma did what the inhabitants of Storybrooke were up against. She knew what they did to those who were not native this world.

Hannah knew because she had experienced it first hand.

This world was not her own. That is why she connected with Regina so easily and believed her when she told the fantastical tale about being the Evil Queen from the Snow White tale. It was why she had confessed to Regina about her own background in a world so unlike this one. It was more like the world Regina was from, where magic was real and where even the ordinary could become extraordinary.

Regina knew how she had ended up in this world – a story that Hannah had told only once before and that had been when she was captive of the Home Office. She swore she would never let them capture her again, but could she risk it to help Regina find her own path home.

"Let me speak to her," Hannah said finally.

"Not good enough."

"Well Miss Swan, it's going to have to be," she responded. "You can't get close to Regina, I can. Let me speak to her about what is going on. Let her make a decision."

"How soon can you talk to her?"

"Tonight."

Already another plan was forming in Emma's mind. If she couldn't follow Regina, then maybe she could follow Hannah to Regina. As much as she wished that Hannah could convince Regina that she needed to return with Emma and Lily, Emma wasn't ready to chance it.

"Fine," she said. "But I need to know what her response is immediately. Like I said, we don't have time."

"I will let you know. But I'm not going there to convince her one way or the other. I will tell her what you told me, but the decision has to be up to her."

"Thank you," Emma said. "I will take what I can get at this point."

Emma moved out of the way so Hannah could return to the orphanage and Emma got into her rental car and called Lily.

"Change of plans," she said. "We have a new target to follow."


	9. Chapter 9

Hannah wasn't sure what she was going to do as she took the elevator up to the penthouse where Regina made her home. Leave it to a former queen to set herself up in one of the most luxurious places in the city. Hannah had even made a comment about it one of the first times she was up there, but Regina just gave her one of those smiles and explained that she had chosen it because it was in the center of the magical bubble that allowed her to use her powers.

That was one of the first things Regina had to explain to her – how she was able to use those powers.

This was after all supposed to be a land without magic.

Of course, Hannah knew that wasn't the case. Still, she had asked Regina about this bubble, and Regina had explained that it wasn't a perfect circle or anything like that. There were pockets throughout the city where she couldn't use her powers so she tended to avoid those.

Where she lived not only could she use her magic, but she had several routes she could take when leaving this place that all allowed her use of her magic.

She knew Regina's magic was important to her, which is why she rarely ever went into areas where she couldn't use her magic. Hannah knew part of that was just who Regina was, but there was another part to the story – a part that Emma didn't know.

Secrets, she thought, it always came down to a person's secrets. She certainly had enough of her own, but when Regina had confided in her, she found she couldn't reciprocate – at least not fully.

Knowing about the betrayals that Regina had faced in her life, Hannah wasn't sure if Regina would merely add Hannah to that list of betrayals if she knew the full truth.

But she had to do something.

Emma showing up here had changed things, or rather the news that the Home Office had discovered Storybrooke and were now actively trying to invade that small area of fairy tale land had changed things. Regina was needed back there, of that Hannah didn't doubt, but getting Regina to see it that way would not be easy.

Regina had created this life here in Florida, turning her back on the past, and recreating herself once more, but it was all a façade. As much as Regina may say she didn't care about that little town in Maine, Hannah knew that wasn't entirely true.

The elevator stopped and Hannah nodded at the two men on guard just outside of it. No matter who was on guard duty, they all knew that Hannah had free rein to come and go as she pleased on any of Regina's properties. Since meeting Regina, most of their interactions had taken place at the orphanage or here at the penthouse.

She had been to the club only once. Given what she knew about what Regina did, she didn't feel comfortable being around Regina's business affairs. Yes, Regina was funding the new orphanage and Hannah knew where that money was coming from, but she wasn't going to turn down the chance to better her kids' lives. The new center would allow them to do so much more for the children and so Hannah was willing to accept the gift from Regina.

And it was a gift. Regina was expecting nothing in return for it, a fact Regina had made clear from the very beginning and Hannah had accepted her at her word. That was one thing about their relationship – trust.

Now she feared she was about to tear down it all down.

She knocked on the door and a moment later Regina was there smiling at her. Not for the first time, Hannah thought about how easy it would be to fall in love with this woman before her.

Maybe in another life, Hannah thought as she entered.

It's not that she didn't have feelings for Regina – she did, but she couldn't say it was love. Part of the reason was because she wasn't being 100 percent truthful with her and she also knew Regina wasn't being truthful to herself. They made an odd pair – the Evil Queen and … she didn't actually know how to describe herself – not anymore. She had worked hard to become Hannah, pushing her real identity far, far away. Meeting Regina had changed that though. Here was another person from a realm other than this one. While Hannah's homeland wasn't the Enchanted Forest, there were similarities, such as the existence of magic.

It was why the Home Office had taken an interest in both women, but their experiences with it had been different.

As Regina shut the door behind her, Hannah thought that perhaps it was time she told Regina the whole truth.

"So, to what do I owe the surprise visit," Regina asked.

"We need to talk."

"That sounds ominous."

"Sorry, I didn't mean for it to sound like that," she said. "But we have an issue."

"Is something wrong at the orphanage?"

"No, but Emma came to see me."

Regina moved further into her place and Hannah followed her. "Sorry for that," Regina said. "If I had known she would do that I would have ensured she left town. I will make sure she doesn't bother you again."

"She needs to go back to Storybrooke," Hannah said.

"That is the goal."

"And you need to return with her."

"What?" Regina said, a smile on her face, as if she thought Hannah was joking.

"It's the Home Office," Hannah said. "That is the danger facing Storybrooke. The entire village is under siege and they will break through the barrier soon if you don't get back there."

Regina moved over to a side table where she kept a decanter and she poured herself a drink. Taking a sip, she turned back toward Hannah. "No."

She hadn't expected this would be easy, so Hannah decided to slow down the pace. It was already a mistake to have started as she did, but she was nervous about having this conversation. The one thing she was hoping not to do – make Regina feel like she had no choice – she had done from the very start.

Hannah moved over to the decanter and poured her own drink. She took it over to the couch and sat down and waited until Regina joined her, knowing she would.

"Why didn't you change your name when you came to this world?" Hannah asked her.

The question took Regina by surprise. "I saw no reason to," Regina said, as if it was the only answer in the world. "I was queen, why should I have?"

"I don't know. You were creating a whole new life. You could have been anyone."

"Is that why you changed your name?"

"Well, Rosha isn't exactly a standard name in this world," Hannah said. "And certainly not a fairy tale character of such note as yourself."

"Is that how you view us – as fairy tale characters? As myth?"

"I no longer know how I view myself," Hannah said. "I have been so many people in my life that I don't know which one is the true me. Do you know which is the true you?"

"The real me is sitting right here beside you."

"No, she's not," Hannah said. "I suspect the real you misses her son very much. And don't bother lying about that, you know I won't believe you. You know, when I was coming here I was thinking about how easy it would be to fall in love with you."

"I …"

"Don't. You don't need to respond."

"But I do care for you, you know that, right?"

"I do," Hannah said, putting a hand on Regina's leg. "Just as I care for you. But we both know why you left Storybrooke and why you feel you can't go back. And why you tore your heart in two."

"I'm not going back," Regina said, taking another drink. "I don't care if the Home Office is involved. All the more reason for me to stay clear."

"Normally, I would agree with that," Hannah said, taking her own, larger drink. "And please believe me when I say I wish you would never have to go anywhere near those people again, not after what they did to you."

Regina got up and moved away from Hannah, emptied her glass in two quick shots and then went to refill it. Hannah knew that Regina didn't want to talk about what had happened. The night she had told Hannah about it had been difficult. It had been difficult for both of them – Regina in the telling and Hannah listening to it and never saying a word about what she knew.

That had to end tonight.

"If you don't wish for me to go anywhere near them, why would you even suggest I should go back?"

"Because the Home Office has to be stopped," Hannah said. "If they get into Storybrooke, what's next? What do you think you will happen to the people there? What will they do to them?"

"I don't care," Regina said.

"Yes, you do. Don't sit there and try and claim you don't care because you ripped out half of your own heart. We both know you are still capable of feeling," Hannah said. "You just admitted as much to me."

"Perhaps I should clarify," Regina smiled. "I care about you, I don't care about Storybrooke or the people there. Why are we even having this discussion? I will not go back there. I can't go back there. I don't care what notions Miss Swan put in your head, but if you wish to stay here I suggest you find more palatable conversation."

Hannah knew she had now reached the point where Regina was not only done with the conversation, but Hannah was risking any further contact with her with her next words.

"I was part of the Home Office."

There it was – the truth of how Hannah knew about the Home Office.

Regina put the glass down and faced Hannah. "Explain."

For the first time since knowing Regina, Hannah felt like she might actually be in some danger. The expression on Regina's face had no warmth in its expression. Instead, Regina looked at her like she was a second away from exterminating her.

Hannah couldn't help but wonder if she was for the first time facing the Evil Queen.

…

"So, what do you think is going on between the two of them?" Lily asked. They were once again sitting in the rental car, this time outside where they hoped Regina was living. They had followed the woman Hannah there after Emma decided it may be the only way for them to find Regina.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean like, do you think the two of them are together, like girlfriends?" Lily said.

"No," Emma replied, although she didn't look at Lily when she said it, keeping her eyes on the building trying to think of their next move.

"You rejected that rather quickly," Lily said. "You maybe want to give it 10 seconds of thought first. Because I'm telling you, I was getting the whole vibe from Regina the other night – the vibe that says she may like the ladies. And then I started thinking about her and my mom being friends and I'm not sure that is a thought process I should take any further. Still, Hannah is not unattractive."

"She's not in love with Hannah," Emma said forcibly. This time she did look at Lily before turning her attention back to the building.

"I didn't say anything about love," Lily said. "Jeez, I was just wondering if they were sleeping together. What's gotten in to you? You've been tense since we got into the car."

"I'm just ready for this all to be over," Emma said.

"Yeah, I don't see that happening anytime soon. Even if we get Regina to come back with us, we still have a battle ahead," Lily said. "I don't think these Home Office sons of bitches are just going to up and leave because the queen is back on her throne."

"I wasn't referring to all of that," Emma said almost to herself. Her gaze wasn't leaving the upscale apartment building that they had tracked Hannah to. Once they saw Hannah go inside Lily thought they would too, but so far they were only sitting there.

Lily wasn't sure if she wanted to open that door to whatever was now on Emma's mind. But she was trying to rebuild a friendship with this woman who she once thought of as a sister.

"What do you mean then if you weren't referring to what is happening with the Home Office?"

"All of it," Emma said. "Sometimes I wish I never knew these fairy tales were real."

"You wouldn't trade knowing your son, your parents."

"No, but the rest of it, I could do without," Emma said. "All this bullshit. I mean why can't Regina just for once not be who she is."

Lily wasn't sure what that was supposed to mean and again wasn't sure she wanted to know.

"I mean why couldn't she just speak to me," Emma said. "We had finally gotten past all of that animosity that defined us from the moment I stepped foot in that town and it's not like Regina is a shy person. She knows how to speak her mind, but no, she would rather run away and leave me a God damn letter."

Well, this was one part Lily did want to know about.

"What was in that letter anyway?"

Emma shifted in her seat and pulled the letter out of her back pocket and tossed it on Lily's lap. "Here, read it."

"Are you sure?" Lily asked even as she picked it up and began unfolding it.

Emma didn't say anything so Lily went ahead and started to read it. She read it twice before looking at Emma who had unbeknownst to her been watching her read it.

"Oh," Lily said. "That wasn't what I was expecting."


End file.
